Hursa was a regular fixture at the Capitol during the session, videotaping Pace, a state lawmaker from Pueblo who is trying to unseat U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez. Pace got a couple of laughs out of the situation, including the day lawmakers introduced their shadows.

A billboard comparing Miklosi, Obama and Ahmadinejad on display in the Denver metro area.

What do Democrats Ed Perlmutter, Joe Miklosi, Sal Pace and President Obama have in common with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

According to their political opponents, all are cohorts in opposition to America’s energy independence, and as a result they are appearing on 28 billboards in the Denver metro-area and Grand Junction. Each billboard includes the slogan, “Higher gas prices, yes! U.S. Energy Independence, no!”

The billboards are the creation of the right-leaning group, Compass Colorado, who say the advertising effort is meant to highlight “President Barack Obama and his allies’ opposition to American energy independence.”

In a news release, Houlton says Miklosi and Pace have long records supporting onerous regulations on the oil and gas industry.

“It’s no surprise that Coffman and shady special interests are already letting loose with this kind of unhinged rhetoric,” said Miklosi’s campaign manager Joe Hamill. “After all, everyone knows that Mike Coffman does exactly what Big Oil and the other special interests want.”

Politics aside, the ads have some upset that anyone would compare the president and state and federal leaders to Ahmadinejad.

Students often shadow lawmakers at the state Capitol, and when a few of them were introduced this week Rep. Sal Pace couldn’t resist.

The Pueblo Democrat pointed to the gallery and said he’d like to introduce his shadow.

“Most days he’s here. His name is Josh and he sits up there with a video camera, but my shadow didn’t make it today.”

Lawmakers howled, particularly Republicans. The Josh in question is Joshua Hursa, hired by Republicans to track Pace’s every utterance in case he says something that can be used against him in his congressional campaign.

Sal Pace, Democrat candidate for Congress, seized on comments made over the weekend by Rep. Scott Tipton's campaign manager about unemployment and high gas prices.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Scott Tipton’s campaign manager Michael Fortney said comments he made to The Colorado Observer over the weekend that he “felt good” about high unemployment rates and high gas prices were taken out of context.

But he said the reporter cut off the back of his quote, which said, “we feel good about our chances” of winning.

“I was not out talking to him about policies,” Fortney said this morning. “I was talking to him about electoral prospects, how the campaign was going to go in 2012 … Scott is voting for a budget that will rein in the deficit, rein in high gas prices.”

The comment popped up in a few of the DC blogs Monday. Tipton’s opponent, Democrat Sal Pace, didn’t waste time seizing the moment and called for an apology.

“Congressman Tipton owes the people of Colorado an apology,” Pace said in an emailed statement. “I know far too many people who have lost their jobs and homes in this tough economy. Our struggles are real, and it’s appalling to imagine that your campaign might want even more people to suffer for political advantage.”

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton raised $378,000 in the first quarter and has $813,000 cash on hand, his campaign said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — Incumbent Republican Rep. Scott Tipton raised $378,000 and his opponent Sal Pace raised $280,000 in the first quarter of this year, according to both campaigns.

Tipton has $813,000 cash available and Pace, a state House representative, had $520,000, campaigns said.

Tipton’s numbers compare to his Republican colleague Rep. Mike Coffman of Aurora who raised $532,000 in the first quarter. Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, a freshman who came in with Tipton, raised $282,000 and has $870,000 cash on hand.

State Rep. Joe Miklosi recorded his fifth excused absence Tuesday from the session as he spent the day working the phones in an effort to raise money for his congressional campaign — a move that’s drawn ire from Republicans.

When a legislator misses a day during the session he/she must have approval from the majority and minority leadership.

“At the time the minority leader had no idea why Miklosi wasn’t here yesterday either,” said Waller, in reference to Democratic Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino. “Miklosi called in after roll call was completed, then asked if he can be excused for the day.”

A resolution on wind energy breezed through the Senate today but found rougher going in the House, where it passed 53-10.

Rep. Sal Pace, who is running for Congress, brought up a U.S. Senate vote Tuesday where an attempt to extend a federal tax break for wind energy production and other alternative energy sources failed.

“Just like any other industry the wind sector needs consistency … and the incentives that exist. Congress has time and time again failed them, and did again last night,” the Pueblo Democrat said on the floor of the House today. “We need to be supporting wind. I’m glad that as a state Colorado has supported renewable energy and wind. It would be great if we had the same partnership in Washington.”

When he finished, he heard Majority Leader Amy Stephens, R-Monument, who was in her seat, say, “Whatever.”

House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino said it wasn’t “the smartest thing” for his office to mention in a news release that a Democratic lawmaker is running for congress, and it won’t happen again.

Speaker Frank McNulty said in a letter to Ferrandino that what happened was a “violation of House general personnel rules.”

The Highlands Ranch Republican also pointed to a legislative memorandum issued Jan. 6 that he said makes “absolutely clear” that it is “improper and unethical to use state equipment and state services such as offices, telephones, internet access accounts, copiers, fax machines, computers, postage, supplies and staff time for campaign or personal purposes.”

Ferrandino said there was no violation, but he did tell McNulty in a text that what happened was “improper” and said future press releases would not mention campaigns. Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, also is running for Congress.

In honor of the Oscars and all the other recent award shows, Democrat Sen. Pat Steadman of Denver looks back at the first seven weeks of the legislature and gives out various honors, including:

Best Tragic Mishap: Rep. Jon Becker
As a busy member of the JBC, Rep. Becker has being harangued in the hallway while the House was debating a bill on third reading. He rushed into the chamber and pushed his red button to vote NO because so many Democrats had been at the microphone talking. He later discovered he had voted against a gun bill that he was sponsoring. Whoops!

The Less is More Award: Sen. Greg Brophy, SB 12-102 You often hear candidates talking about repealing laws, rather than making new ones, but we don’t see nearly enough bills that remove antiquated statutes from the books. Sen. Brophy has a winner with his bill to rid the state of the criminal libel law.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.